Local Hidden Gems Rule in TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice Awards 2022

Digital rating platform TripAdvisor has released its annual 'Best of the Best' Restaurants Awards, and as usual, it’s an eclectic mix of established names and completely off-the-radar hidden gems.

The list includes restaurants across six continents and 51 countries. The effects of the labour shortages, supply chain issues and the pandemic are still being felt, meaning there is a new landscape emerging for what restaurants can deliver and what customers want. Tourism has made a most welcome return in most areas, yet while it is still restricted in some, people are still looking for good food, service and value according to the review site, where millions left their opinions about their dining experiences.

Beating some world-class opposition to the top spot of the Best of the Best Fine Dining 2022 list was The Old Stamp House Restaurant in Ambleside, United Kingdom, which took the No. 1 spot for the second consecutive year. The restaurant is popular for its intimate, unique setting and its tasting menu made with high-quality locally sourced ingredients.

Best Fine Dining Restaurants — World

1. The Old Stamp House Restaurant -  Ambleside, United Kingdom
2. Oro Restaurante - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
3. Madonnina del Pescatore - Senigallia, Italy
4. Martin Berasategui - Lasarte-Oria, Spain
5. El Xato - La Nucia, Spain
6. Ristorante Villa Crespi - Orta San Giulio, Italy
7. Les Plaisirs Gourmands - Schiltigheim, France
8. Sachi Heliopolis - Cairo, Egypt
9. Auberge Du Vieux Puits, Fontjoncouse, France
10. Paul Ainsworth at No. 6 - Padstow, United Kingdom
11. La Colombe - Constantia, South Africa
12. Restaurante Origem - Salvador, Brazil
13. The Grove - Auckland Central, New Zealand
14. Sails Restaurant -  Auckland Central, New Zealand
15. PIC - Valence, France
16. Ristorante Don Alfonso 1890 - Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi, Italy
17. Akira Back - Bangkok, Thailand
18. Maido -Lima, Peru
19. Lahaina Grill -Lahaina, Hawaii
20. 5 - Stuttgart, Germany
21. Chila -Buenos Aires, Argentina
22. Summer Pavilion - Singapore, Singapore
23. Tin Lung Heen - Hong Kong, China
24. Mandarin Grill + Bar at Mandarin Oriental - Hong Kong, China
25. Restaurante 1621 - Cartagena, Colombia

The Travelers’ Choice Awards included a new subcategory, Hidden Gems, for restaurants that are off the beaten track and loved by locals and those in the know. The top spot went to restaurant Green Point in Cusco, Peru.

Top Hidden Gems — World

1. Green Point, Cusco, Peru
2. IX CAT IK Mayan Cuisine, Valladolid, Mexico
3. Taberna el Sur, Madrid, Spain
4. La Locanda Gesu Vecchio, Naples, Italy
5. La Fiesta Restaurant, Doncaster, United Kingdom
6. Mivan Restaurant Cafe, Istanbul, Turkey
7. Indian Palace, Florence, Italy
8. La Dolce Vita, Pipa, Praia da Pipa, Brazil
9. Tierra Roja Restaurant, Chia, Colombia
10. Little India, Los Cristianos, Spain
11. Three Partners Cafe & Restaurant, Istanbul, Turkey
12. Jaffa Restaurant, Prague, Czech Republic
13. Archontiko, Agios Nikolaos, Greece
14. MadMarket Restaurante, Funchal, Portugal
15. Sancho Panca, Paraty, Brazil
16. Restaurante Peruano - Indio De Machu Picchu, Bogota, Colombia
17. Sanchaya, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
18. Restaurante Tupana Wasi, Aguas Calientes, Peru
19. Grapeskin Grape Bar and Kitchen, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
20. Casa Nostra Terrace and Rooftop Restaurant, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
21. Nido Tapas Restaurant & Bar, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
22. Trattoria Catanzaro, San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico
23. La Pasion de Rosas, Ezeiza, Argentina
24. Kalaluna Bistro', Drake Bay, Costa Rica
25. Ceylon Excel, Tangalle, Sri Lanka

In the US, Hawaii claimed the top spot on the Fine Dining list, with the top ten made up of restaurants that are located outside the major urban metropolises. The list features almost exclusively local eateries rather than the high-end temples of gastronomy, with The Inn at Little Washington a notable exception.

Top 10 Fine Dining Restaurants in the U.S.

1. Lahaina Grill - Lahaina, Hawaii (also No. 19 in the world)
2. The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge - Blowing Rock, North Carolina
3. The Lincoln Inn & Restaurant At The Covered Bridge - Woodstock, Vermont
4. Cafe Monarch- Scottsdale, Arizona
5. Halls Chophouse - Charleston, South Carolina
6. Six Tables a Restaurant - Boca Raton, Florida
7. Inn at Little Washington - Washington, Virginia
8. Sazón - Santa Fe, New Mexico
9. Collage Restaurant- St. Augustine, Florida
10. Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina, a Nashville Steakhouse - Nashville, Tennessee

Top 10 Hidden Gems in the U.S.

Savannah, Georgia, can lay claim to the number spot on the US Hidden Gems list with Joe’s At The Jepson, a family and vegetarian-friendly restaurant found at the Jepson Center for the Arts.

1. Joe's At The Jepson - Savannah, Georgia
2. Mersea Restaurant & Bar - San Francisco, California
3. Seaside Cafe at the Mansion - Key West, Florida
4. Chubby's Deli - Sevierville, Tennessee
5. Roadhouse Diner - Great Falls, Montana
6. Finelli's Italian Villa - Altoona, Pennsylvania
7. Pickin Porch Grill - Branson, Missouri
8. Rocco's NY Style Pizza by Mama D's House - Branson, Missouri
9. Buxton Munch Company - Buxton, North Carolina
10. Bakery Restaurant and Lounge - Niagara Falls, New York